Expert: - 10/1/2009

Question
I've been bowling for 20 plus yrs and I have farily high rev rate, moderate speed and VERY HIGH TRACK on ball...close to both FINGERS and Thumbs. The last few balls I've had drilled by have rolled over fingers. I'm looking at drilling up a new ball or two. One for league and then one a little more agrressive for tournaments....BUT I'm looking for help with layout of suggestions about drilling pattern...type, pin placement pin in/pin out etc.
I'm looking to drill up something like Ebonite Playmaker...any suggestion on drilling or another ball for medium to kinda dy shot...its kinda in between if you ask me.

Any help or suggestions would be grealty appreciate.

300game ...aka Rob

Answer
Rob,
Your pitches in the fingers can help get the ball off the grip. Send me a copy of your ball fit and I can recommend a couple small changes. If you are slightly inverted, you are getting great hand action, is your delivery consistent, or does it vary somewhat?

Layouts can make a weak ball stronger and a strong ball weaker, but why buy something that is too strong or too weak in the first place (there's just too many balls out there).

You sound like your rev dominant, so layout and surface will help depending on what you want the  ball to do. Getting an idea what has worked for you, in the past, will help give me an idea what part surface, core strength and layout contributes, and how they have contributed to your success, thus far.

I'd need lots more info to even start talking about a specific layout. High rev rate could be 300, or 450?? moderate speed could be 13 or 16.5 mph. Without seeing you roll a ball, getting your axis tilt and axis rotation, Positive Axis Point (PAP), specifics on rev rate and speed, what balls you roll well, and a clear idea of how much oil, or how dry a shot is, I would just be guessing. I REALLY don't want you to spend money on my GUESS!

I guarantee my work (at my store), that way when I fill in the blanks, I know what to expect. Seeing the layouts you throw now, and which ones work best, in what kinds of balls, will help. How many balls do you have? Can you take pictures or a video of them (ideally with the track highlighted and PAP marked)?

Thanks for the questions. It's a lot more complicated to diagnose a player with out seeing them and having them in front of me. Please let me know more.